The fixed oscillating water column (OWC) integrated with a slotted barrier is a dual functioning wave energy converter and breakwater. This design is to reduce initial investment cost of the wave energy converter by integrating it with existing coastal infrastructure. Reducing the cost is accomplished with modular, simple, precastable design components, power take off (PTO) housed out of water, and a near shore deployment site for easier maintenance.

This design is to serve as a breakwater that does not impose local water quality stagnation while mitigating coastal erosion or providing harbor installation. The overall objectives are to reduce wave energy transmitted to the shore by increasing wave extraction efficiency, reduce wave loading on the structure, and observe the current circulation pattern about the breakwater. Previous experimental trials have been conducted on this design for various tide levels and slotted barrier porosities in a small-scale wave flume for regular waves. The presented experimental trials in this report are for a large scale model with various slotted barrier porosities and tide levels are to be tested at the O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory Directional Wave Basin (DWB) for random, regular, and incident angle waves. The results obtained on the effect of scale, random waves, mean current flow pattern, and incident waves are presented by wave transmission, efficiency, reflection, wave loading, and mean flow velocities.

This project was supported during RFTS 11.